The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-05-27
wAa unpEa wATeR.
The Uses 10 which subma rine Boats May
Be Put In Future struggles

The Uses To which subma rIne boats May
Be Put in Future struggles
Even when at anchor vessel will be
likely to be protected by crinsdinaand
encircled by small floating mines with
which the submarine boat might come
in contact. SAYS Z. T.. Zalinski. writing
of submarine vessels. Should the boat
trust Tor its means Of aggression TO
locomotive t,rpedoes. such as the
Whitehead. the protecting criHoline
might still partially ward off the blow.
Recent experiments alsoad have shown
that wire netting affords considerable
protection against attacks Of this kind.
unless the charges are much larger
tnan are carried in such self-yropelIing
iorpedves as are now in use. or the first
torpedo l. closely followed By sesnnd
The last may then be able to make
its way through the rent made in the
netting by the first. Besides lueteetIon
by rrinoIine and outlying mines
against surface and submarine torpedo
boats vessel may be equipped with
rapid-firing pneumatic guns. whose
shells carrying from ten 10 twenty
pounds Of dynamite or other high ex-
plosiye. can be fred so rs to penetrate
the water any desired number of feet
before exploding. In this way. If per-
ceiyed. the submarine boat may not
have fully its own way IN the attack
The NordenfeIdt experiments have
shown that. unless the boat is very
deeply submerged. it is likely to be de-
scried from the mastheads, when it
has approached sufficiently near 10
make an attack with such ar appliance
as the Whitehead torpedo
On the other hand if the submarine
boat is armed with pneumatic guns
capable of throwing large torpedo shells
through the air much greater distances
than would be possible through the
denser resisting medium. water, its
chances of approaching within sfrik-
ing distance unobSeryed are very
much increased. II has also far
wider range of choice of position from
whence to make an attack. In fact.
its chances are increased very much
more than the square OF the distance
from which il attacks. For not alone
is the area in which it can choose ifs
point of approach increased directly as
the square of the distance or effective
ranks of its armament. but ifs chances
of escape from the counter operations
Of the enemy are also fully equal to
that ratio.
As submarine boats become more
generally used. men-of- war viii doubt
less be provided with small ones for
submarine picket duty. and for renov-
ing the submarine mining defenses Of q
harbor about 10 be attacked. It does
not require the. imagination of Jules
Verne to see. in the future. submarine
conflicts between the boats of aRtagon-
lists who are also fighting ON the sur
face. Ordinary surface-going torpedo
boats must approach 10 within three or
four hundred Yards to enable them TO
launch their self-propelling torpedoes
with any chance Of success In coming
within striking distance they viii be
large number OF machine and rapid
/ firing shell guns with which modern
war vessels are equipped Their
chances IF running the gauntlet of
such fire with success are comparative
i ly small. II would seem. therefore.
| TO be certain that submarine boats will
be used for this purpose. They viii al
so be employed by an attacking force
to remove the mines Of the defense,
and by the defense in replacing mines
which have been explodedin the course
of an action or removed by the enemy
Forum.